Printing machine



Sept. 27, 1949. E. J; JANKE 2,483,203

PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed April 29 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORfDWARD I JAN/GE [3 Teww Sept. 1949- E. J. JANKE 2,483,203

PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed April 29, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 00 0 RMD Q v-' k m O4 mm In Illllllllllll l [bu/Aka J Jim:

Sept. 27, 1949. J, JANKE 2,483,203

PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed April 29, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 //VVEN70/2 4 EDWARD J JAN/ 5 aept. 27, 1949. E. J. JANKE PRINTING MACHINE 5Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed April 29, 1944 INVENTOR.

N Wm a W I v E. J. JANKE PRINTING MACHINE Sept. 27, 1949. 2,483,203

Original Filed April 29, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 L- I INVENTOR.

y [DWAED JJANA'E Patented Sept- 27, 1949 2,483,203 rnm'rmo momma EdwardJ. Janke, Cleveland, ()hio,-assignor to Addressograph-MultigraphCorporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Originalapplication April 29, 1944, Serial No.

533,276, now' Patent No.. 2,425,327, dated August 12, 1947. Divided andthis application September 8, 1945, Serial No. 615,213

This application is a division of my copending application No. 533,276,filed April 29, 1944, and

issued as Patent No. 2,425,327 on August 12, 1947, for a Printingmachine.

This invention relates to means for reproducing material on theplanographic principle by the use of a. master sheet carrying a greasyimage and the application to the sheet of liquid repellent, to preventadherence of the ink to the non-printing regions of the sheet, and'thesubsequent application of ink effectively to the printing image andnon-effectively to the non-printing regions. The master sheet is readilychangeable from time to time sothat a few or many imprints from the sameimage may be made as desired.

The invention is especially well adapted for a printing machine of. theoffset type having a drum to carry the master sheet and equipped withsuitable clamping means to hold the sheet thereon, an offset drum havinga yielding blanket to coact with the master sheet, and a roller platencoacting with the offset drum.

An object of the invention is to provide ready means for the stoppage ofthe master sheet drum in a convenient position for the removalandreplacement of the master sheet, and in accomplishing this I providea dual control preferably having two foot pedals, one for continuousrotation of the machine for printing and the other for half rotations ofthe master drum to enable the ready clamping of the leading end and thetrailing end of the master sheet.

It is an object of the invention to provide effective mechanism for thispurpose, including a clutch brake to stop the drum in desired position.

Other objects of the invention and features of the mechanism accomplishing it will be apparent from the following detailed descriptionof the particular embodiment shown in the drawings.

planographic machine incorporating my invention; Fig. 2 is a verticalsection through the machine, as indicated by the line 2-2 on Figs. 1 and3; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on a i plane parallel with Fig. 1,as indicated by the In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a- 4Claims. (Cl. 101-216) ticular portion thereof with which the presentapplication is concerned. Referring to Fig. l and also to Figs. 2 and 3,it will be seen that the eneral frame of the machine'comprises a pair ofside plates 10 and II suitably spaced from each other by cross rods, asl2. This frame is shown as mounted on a suitable stand I3 which carriesan operating motor I and two controlling pedals 230 and 23! linked tomechanism on the machine itself as later explained.

Mounted on the frame plates I0 and H is an ink supply unit It (Fig. l),the details of which are not shown but which has at least an ink supplyroll l5 applying ink to an applicator roll I6. A distributor ll coactswith the roll I6 to insure an even distribution of ink thereon. Theserolls, together with the liquid repellent applicator roll l8, extendbetween and are mounted in the upper portions of the frame plates Hi andIE.

The applicator rolls [8 and It apply liquid repellent and ink, in thatorder, to the surface of a flexible planographic printing plate 20 whichis mounted on the periphery of a plate drum 2!,

rotatably mounted in the frame plates Ill and II immediately below theapplicator rolls.

The inked image of the printing plate is transferred to a transferblanket 22 mounted on an offset drum 23, journaled in the frame plates.The sheet or article to be printed is fed between this oflset ortransfer drum and a, platen roll 24 (Fig. 3) which is journaledin a bail25, immediately below the transfer drum. 26 designates a curved guidefor directing the printed sheet around the platen roll and between itand a coacting spring pressed roll 21 and discharging it, toward thatface of the machine from which it was fed, between skeleton guides 28 Asindicated in Fig.- l, the shafts of the ink and repellent applicatorrolls l6 and 18 are -mounted in inclined slots in the frame plates andbear against the inclined edges of a pair of individually mounted camplates 3|! which are slidably mounted on the outer faces of therespective frame plates. These cam plates are operated by the cams 40, Mon opposite ends of a shaft 42 which coact with pins projectingoutwardly from the plates. The manipulation of this cam shaft serves tohold both the repellent and ink applying rolls out of contact with theprinting drum or to allow the repellent roll and thereafter the ink rollto contact with the plate on the drum, as will be well understood.

The plate drum 2| is best shown in. Figs. 2 and 3 and comprises acylinder having a gap 50 and aiaaaos cess I is formed in the peripheryof the cyl-' inder 2i, and in this recess are a series of hooks 52, Fig.3. These books are adapted to engage openings 53 formed in one end ofthe printing plate 20. At its other end, the plate shown has a secondseries of slotted openings 54 which are engaged by hook-like formations55 on a tensioning member 56. This tensioning member is pivotallymounted on a shaft 51 within the gap of the drum and is normally swungin a platetensioning direction by a spring 58 which is interposedbetween the member and a rod 59 carried by the end walls of the drum.

To retain the master sheet on the hooks 55, I show a pivotally mountedcomb 60 on the tensioning member 56. The tines of this comb projectbetween the hooks 55 and a spring 63 causes them to bear resiliently onthe plate or master sheet.

The plate drum 2| is bodily movable in a direction away from thetransfer or offset drum 23. As shown in Fig. 2, the drum 2I is rotatablymounted on a shaft 65 having eccentric end por- 65 and Bi which projectinto bushings carried by the frame plates in and II respectively. Thus,as the shaft is turned, the drum is moved bodily. The shaft 55 islatched in its printing position by a pivoted latch. I0 carried by asleeve H which is pinned to the eccentric portion 61 of the shaft. Aspring tends to retain this latch in a notch in a latch plate 13, whichplate is adjustably mounted on the frame plate II. I

The latch 10 is released and the shaft is turned by a knob or controlmember I5, rotatably mounted on the shaft portion. 61, and connected bya link I6 to an operating lever II2. When the knob is turned in aclockwise direction a canr surface thereof engages the latch I0 andmoves it out of engagement with the cam plate. There-.

after the knob engages a pin carried on an arm of the latch sleeve andturns the shaft. The pin 25. These levers are pivoted intermediate theirends as at I02 'to the inner faces of respective frame plates and attheir outer ends are bent inwardly as at I03. These inwardly bent endsare each provided with a square opening to rehalve the squared portionI04 of a respective rod M5 carried by respective bars I06 forming partof the base I3 to which the machine is secured and projecting forwardlytherefrom. A coil spring itlisurrounding the rod between the portion I04of the lever and a nut carried by the threaded upper end of the rodserves to move the platen roll assembly resiliently toward theoffsetroll.

The rods I05 which support the platen-rollspring-assembly areresiliently maintained in position by second coil springs I08 which areinterposed between the bars I06 and shoulders I09 of the respective rodsand are stilferthan the springs l0l. These springs I08 act to retain therods in their uppermost positions. An adjusting nut H0 carried by athreaded portion of each rod extending beneath the respective bar I05limits the upward movement of the rod and by varying the compression ofthe spring I01 controls the pressure of the platen roll.

After the plate has been mountedon the plate drum 20, it is coated withliquid repellent and then the ink applied before the plate is broughtinto contact with the transfer blanket. This may be effected bymanipulation of the cam shaft 02. There is suitable means not shown indetail for controlling the separation between the plate drum ill, theplaten roller 24, and the offset drum 23, in such manner as to enablethe building up of an image on the transfer drum without danger ofoffsetting such imagepn the platen roller. Fig. 1 indicates at HI, II2 apair of levers which may accomplish this operation by mechanism notshown.

It should be understood that have an idle vertical position and twooperation positions and operate the cam shaft 42 to apply first therepellent and then the ink without releasing the repellent application.The lever II2 the lever I I I may also may have an idle verticalposition and two 80 is engaged by the walls of an opening which isconsiderably larger than the diameter of the pin. Due to this lostmotion connection the turning of the knob in a latching direction firstmoves the cam past the latch Ill permittingits spring to force itagainst the latch plate. Further movement of the knob turns the shaftuntil stopped by the latch engaging in the notch or the latch plate.

The transfer or ofi'set cylinder 23 is secured to a shaft which isrotatably journaled in bushings carried by respective frame plates [0and II. This cylinder has an axially extending gap at one end of whichis a bar 92 provided with a series of hooks 93. One end of the transferblanket is provided with slotted openings for engagement with thesehooks. The other end of the blanket is provided with a similar set ofslotted openings which are engaged by hooks 95 on the tensioning bar 96.This bar is pivotally mounted on a rod carried by the drum and istensioned by a pair of screws 98 which threadingly extend through thebar and coact with a surface of the drum gap.

The platen 24 is a relatively small roll and is rotatably mounted on ashaft I00, the ends of which are mounted in respective levers whichtogether with the shaft form the platen roll bail operative positions,one of which causes the engagement of the transfer drum with the inkedimage and thereafter a movement into the other position may raise theplaten roller into engagement with the transfer drum, rendering themachine ready for printing. In its active position the platen roll isspaced from the transfer blanket a distance slightly less than thethickness of the sheet to be printed, so that no offsetting on theplaten occurs in the absence of a sheet between them but they are ableto impress the image on the sheet when presented.

Coming now to the particular portion of the machine with which thepresent application is concerned, it will be seen from Fig. 1 that themachine is power operated from a motor I80. The motor is connected by abelt i82 with a shaft I83 (Fig. 2) by a clutch mechanism 200 about to bedescribed in detail.

The clutch mechanism 200 is. best shown in Fig. 2, and is mountedbetween the frame plate 10 and a frame bracket 20I secured thereto. Theclutch shaft I83 is ioug'nalled in such bracket and frame plate. Aflanged pulley 202 is rotatably mounted on this shaft adjacent thepinion I80. This pulley is continuously driven by the belt I82heretofore described. The flange 203 of this pulley is provided with aplurality of internal axiallyextending grooves 204. These groovesreceive lugs 205 on a friction clutch plate 206, which is disposedbetween a pair of discs 20'! and 208. These discs are normally heldapart by long as the pedal m is retained in .a depressed position theprinting mechanism continue ingly secured to the clutch shaft 183 by apin 212.

The clutch discs when drawn together grip the clutch plate 205 andthereby form a driving connection between the clutch pulley 202 and theshaft 103.

The clutchdiscs are operated by a collar 213 which is slidably mountedon the shaft 183. As the collar is moved toward the clutch it engages aplurality of .fingers214. These fingers are pivoted to a collar carriedby the hub 211 of the disc 20! and as they are swung by the collar 218their inner ends; 215 engage the disc 208 thereby drawing the plates 20!and 208 together in driving relation with the friction clutch plate IThe shaft 183 is also provided with a brake 218 which serves'to bringthe shaft, andtherefore the entire printing mechanism, to a rapid stop.The brake is similar to the clutch mechanism heretofore described andthe corresponding parts have been given corresponding reference numbers.In the brake mechanism the lugs 2050f the clutchplate are engaged by thewalls of notches 219 of a stationary plate 220. This plate is mounted onposts or'bosses 221 carried by the bracket 201. The clutch discs'of thebrake are operated bymovement of the collar 213 toward the left (Fig.2)in the same manner as heretofore described in connection with theclutch. Y

It will be noted that the collar 213 is so arranged that a relativelysmall movement from its clutch engaging position (shown in Fig. 2) willcause the eng'agement'of the brake mechanism, there being substantiallyno neutral position of this clutch and brake operating collar.

The clutch mechanism is controlled by foot pedals 230 and 231 (Fig. l).The former controls the operation of the clutch during normal operationof the machine and the latter serves a purpose hereinafter to be morefully described. These pedals are pivotally mounted for independentmovement on a rod 222 carried by a bracket 223 secured to the lower endof the stand it. The forward or right hand end of the pedals arenormally held in a raised position by suitable springs, one of which isindicated at 223.

Thepedal 230 is connected by a link 225 to a lever 226 which in turn isconnected by anotherlink'22l with a lever 228 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5). Thislever is secured to a rock-shaft 229 which is journalled in the frameplates 10 and 11. Secured to the outer end of this shaft is a lever 232which is connected by a link 233 with one arm 23A of a bell crank 216(Figs. 2, 4 and 5).

. This bell crank is pivotally mounted on a rod the clutch collar 213 tothe right (Fig. 2) thus operating the clutch to connect the motor 180drivingly with the printing mechanism. So

to rotate. I 7

It is desirable that the machine stop in a predetermined position whenthe clutch pedal 230 is released. To this end, there is provided a.latch mechanism to retain the clutch-operating bell crank 216 inclutch-operating position until a predetermined point in the cycle ofoperation of the printing mechanism. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, thislatch mechanism comprises a latch member 240 pivoted as at 241 to thebracket 201,

and urged toward the arm 234 of the bell crank 21 6 bya spring 211;

' The arrangement of the mechanism just described is such that when thebell crank is actuated by the depression of the pedal 230, the latchwill be moved into the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position thelatch overlies the bell crank and retains it in'the position shown inFig. 2, even though the pedal 230. be released by the operator. untilthe latch 240 is automatically released by the printing mechanism asabout to be described. Y

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the transfer roll shaft 90 extends outwardlybeyond the frame plate 10 and has secured to it a cam 242. This cam hastwo active cam portions 243 spaced one hundred and eighty degrees apart.These cam portions are arranged to engage a lip 244 of the latch andswing it out of engagement with the bell crank 216, as shown in Fig. 5;whereupon the spring 230 swings the bell crank in a counter-clockwisedirection (Fig. 2) moving the collar 213 from the clutch-engagingposition to the brake-engaging position.

The cam 242 is so arranged that it will stop the printing drum either inthe position shown in Fig. 3, where the plate retaining hooks 52 areaccessible at the front of the machine, or in the diametrically oppositeposition, in which the plate clamp 56, etc., is accessible at the frontof the machine.

Assuming the machine be stopped in the position diametrically oppositeto that shown in Fig. 3, then the plate clamp mechanism 56, etc., may beoperated to release the plate 20. Then, if the mechanism is rotated halfa revolution, into the position of Fig. 3, the plate retaining hooks 52are accessible to permit removal of the printing plate and thesubstitution of a new plate therefor. Following the positioning of a newplate 20 on the hooks 52, the rotation of the drum 20 for one half arevolution will wrap the plate around the drum and again bring the plateclamp 56, etc.,

into position to enable the operator to secure the plate thereto, thuscompleting the attachment of the new plate to the drum.

The rotation of the printing mechanism one half a revolution and theholding of it there no matter how long the pedal may be held depressed,is accomplished by the depression of the pedal 231- by the operator. Themechanism associated with this pedal is such that for each depressionofthe pedal the printing drum will rotate one-half a revolution and thencome to a stop, regardless changed frequently.

The pedal 231 and its associated mechanism Fig. 1, this pedal isconnected by a link 24: with I. Ro'tatably mounted on this stud, betweenthe amazes .5

plate 248 and the frame I0, is a compound ratchet and starwheel member250, 25! (Figs. and 6).

' When the pedal 23l is depressed by the operator a pin 252 of a pawl253carried by the plate 248 advances the'ratchet 250 a distance of onetooth and this advances the star wheel 25l a distance of one tooth. Asthe'star wheel tooth 254 is pro-' gressed it engages a roller 255carried by lever 232 heretofore described. This rocks the lever downward(Fig. 5) causing it to depress the arm 234 of the clutch-operating bellcrank 2H5, energizing the clutch, and this causes the latch 240 toretain the lever in its clutch-actuating position.

It will be noted that the ratchet and star wheel member is so arrangedthat normally the roller 255 lies between two adjacent teeth 254 of thestar wheel; As the star'wheel is advanced a dis- .tance of one tooth foreach actuation of the pedal 23!, it is obvious that as such pedal isdepressed a star wheel tooth depresses the lever 232 and immediatelymoves out of reach of the roller 255 which then, so far as the starwheelis concerned, is free to return to its normal position, as shown in Fig.5. Therefore the latch mechanism 240 will be released by the cam 242 assoon as the print ing drum has turned a half a revolution, whereupon thespring 239 will cause the bell crank 2l6 to swing in a counter-clockwisedirection (Fig. 2) disengaging the clutch and connecting the brakemechanism with the operating or clutch shaft I83. It will be seen thatthe machine provides, in a most convenient manner, for the variouscontrols desired in a rapidly operating planographic printing machine.One hand lever by its two positions controls the application of thematerials to the image on the plate and the other hand lever by its twopositions enables the ready transfer of the image to the ofiset blanketand then controls the printing impression. One of the two pedals and themechanism operated thereby enable the continuous rotation of the drumtoeilect printing as desired, while the operation of the other pedalenables the partial rotation of the plate carrying drum to bring it to'astop in position where the plate may be quickly detached and a new plateattached to the drum. This enables the master sheet to be changed withthe minimum loss of time and is especially desirable where the runs areshort. These features result in the entire printing operation beingreadily controlled by an operator sitting at the front of the machine.

I claim:

1. In a printing machine, a rotary drum, means for attaching the ends ofa printing plate thereto, driving means for said drum, a clutch forcou-" pling said driving means to the drum, clutch operating means forefiecting said coupling, holding means for holding operating meansactive, means for automatically releasing said holding means at the endof a half revolution, a manually operable control mechanism for saidoperating means and including a member connected with said operatingmeans and movable in onedirection to cause the clutch to become activeand in another direction to an inactive position to permit the clutch tobe released, resilient means normally tending to retain said member inan in active position, a rotatable star wheel cooperatmg with saidmemberto move said member into an active position as a tooth of the starwheel moves into engagement with said member and releases said memberas'a tooth passes out of engagement therewith during rotation of thestar wheel, a manually actuatable means to rotate the star wheel tobring one tpoth thereof into and out of cooperation with said member foreach actuation of said means.

2. In a printing machine, the combination of a drum, means for attachingthe ends of a printing plate thereto, a clutch adapted to couple powerto the drum, 9. control mechanism for rendering the clutch active, saidcontrol mechanism including a clutch operating member for connecting theclutch to the drum, automatic means operating on said member to retainthe member in an active position to cause the drum to rotate a half arevolution and then release the member to disconnect the clutch from thedrum, pedal operated mechanism to initially move said member to anactive position, said last named mechawheel, means carried by thelinkage and cooperating with the star wheel to move the linkage againstits bias and cause the clutch to become active cooperation with the andthen inactive as the star wheel is rotated, a ratchet mechanism torotate-said star wheel to bring one tooth of the star wheel into and outof linkage for each movement of the mechanism in one direction. and apedal connected to operate said ratchet mechanism.

3. In a printing machine, the combination of a drum, means for attachingthe ends of a printing plate thereto, a clutch adapted to couple powerto the drum, a control'mechanism for rendering the clutch active, saidcontrol mechanism including a clutch operating member for'connecting theclutch to the drum, resilient means acting to retain said member in aninactive position, a latch to retain the member in an active position,means to release said latch when the drum completes a half a revolutionto disconnect the clutch from the drum, pedal operated mechanism to movesaid operating member to an active position comprising and including aspring biased pivoted lever, a link between said-member and said lever,a rotatable star wheel cooperating with said lever to move said leveragainst its bias to move said operating member to an active positioneach time a tooth of the star wheel cooperates with the lever as thestar wheel is rotated, a ratchet mechanism to rotate said star wheel onetooth at a time, and a pedal connected to said ratchet mechanism.

4. In a printing machine, a rotary drum, means for attaching the ends ofa printing plate thereto, driving means for said drum, a clutch forcoupling said driving means to the drum, clutch opmeans normall actingto render said operating meansineifective, holding means for holdingopcrating means active, means for automatically releasing said holdingmeans at the end of a half revolution, a manually operable controlmechanism for said operating means and'including a active position topermit the clutch to be released,

. active position as a tooth of the star wheel moves into engagementwith saidmember and to release said member as a 'tooth passes out ofengagement therewith during rotation of the star wheel, a. ratchet wheeloperatively connected v file of this patent:

with said star wheel, a pivoted pawl carrier, a I

pawl mounted on said carrier and engaging said ratchet wheel, resilientmeans acting to retain I said pawl in engagement with said wheel, apivoted pedal, a link between said pedal and said pawl carrier wherebydepression of said pedal actuates said ratchet to move one tooth of thestar wheel into and out of engagement with the roller each time saidpedal is depressed, a second pedal, and means interconnecting saidsecond named pedal directl with said member.

' EDWARD J. JANKE.

. I Harem-moss omen The following references Allen et a1. June 10, 1947are of record in the-

